The present invention relates to portable mobile communications devices and systems, and more particularly to a portable mobile communications device, system and method that can efficiently deliver audio/video content from a mobile TV service provider to a portable mobile communications device.
Portable mobile communications devices such as mobile phones are becoming more sophisticated and include many new features and capabilities. One such feature is the capability to receive mobile broadcast signals, mobile television, or the like. Such services include digital video broadcast-handheld (DVB-H), digital media broadcast (DMB), integrated services digital broadcast-terrestrial (ISDB-T), mobile broadcast multi-cast service (MBMS), or similar technologies. When integrated into a mobile phone, all of the aforementioned technologies utilize a separate mobile broadcast tuner except for MBMS which can be received using the portable mobile communications device existing mobile radio receiver and transmitter.
A third party provider maintains the content or programs that can be viewed by a portable mobile communications device such as a mobile TV equipped mobile phone. This content is made available to subscribers similar to a television network schedule. Thus, a viewer/subscriber can tune in to the content currently being broadcast. Unfortunately, this scheme only allows a viewer to see what is currently being broadcast or streamed. It does not provide for time shifting of viewing in which a viewer can watch a program that has already aired or preserve the ability to watch a future program just not at its originally scheduled broadcast time.
Currently, there are no provisions addressing the user's dilemma described above. What is needed is a mechanism that allows the viewer to selectively reserve the ability to watch programs on a time shifted basis that suits the viewer's schedule without having to use significant memory resources to actually store the desired content.